Jesse James Successfully Sets New Hydrogen Land-speed Record
If there is anyone that I have a "man crush" on (purely heterosexual) it would be Jesse James. I just think he is cool. He builds cool bikes. He's a master metal worker/welder. He has good taste in bikes and hotrods.
Anyways, now Jesse James has gone done something else pretty feakin' cool in my book. He broke a land speed record for a hydrogen power car-- 199.7 miles per hour on a run the El Mirage dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert in California. The car that he drove was a 740-hp hydrogen-fueled 572 cubic-inch Chevrolet V8 engine.
The previous record for a hydrogen powered car was set by BMW in Germany a few years back. My man James seemed pleased saying, "This, I honestly believe, is world-changing. We can't rely on gasoline forever. I'm paying it forward."
The hole thing is set to air on Spike TV's "Jesse James is a Dead Man" on August 9th 10 pm Eastern.
Jesse James successfully sets new hydrogen land-speed record
Anyways, now Jesse James has gone done something else pretty feakin' cool in my book. He broke a land speed record for a hydrogen power car-- 199.7 miles per hour on a run the El Mirage dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert in California. The car that he drove was a 740-hp hydrogen-fueled 572 cubic-inch Chevrolet V8 engine.
The previous record for a hydrogen powered car was set by BMW in Germany a few years back. My man James seemed pleased saying, "This, I honestly believe, is world-changing. We can't rely on gasoline forever. I'm paying it forward."
The hole thing is set to air on Spike TV's "Jesse James is a Dead Man" on August 9th 10 pm Eastern.
Jesse James successfully sets new hydrogen land-speed record
TomTom uses Homer Simpson's Voice
I don't know about you guys but this a cool idea...directions given to you from somebody other than a scary robot lady. In fact I remember telling someone this exact idea and joking about all the possibilities. Man if only I patented and sold that idea to tomtom before they came up with....see for yourself on their site
Top Gear Season 13: Oh so cute
One of my favorite shows to watch is Top Gear. Its a BBC program about cars. Basically there are three British guys test driving cars, talking about cars, racing cars, and making fun of each other. Its actually very entertaining. My cute little wife Sylvia even likes it or at least she says she does.
Here is a adorable little commercial for the new season 13 that is starting up soon. Now I only wish I had cable so I could watch it on the BBC. Maybe I will have my neighbor recorder it for me. Most likely I will just try to find it on the web some where.
Here is a adorable little commercial for the new season 13 that is starting up soon. Now I only wish I had cable so I could watch it on the BBC. Maybe I will have my neighbor recorder it for me. Most likely I will just try to find it on the web some where.
Three Geeks Make a DIY 3D Printer- An Opensource project
I have always considered myself somewhat of a cool guy, but writing a blog post about a homemade robot CNC machine that that prints stuff in 3-D makes me realize how big of a geek I have turned out to be.
Yet compared to these guys I am coolest guy in the world. I do have to hand it to them. Their open source do-it-yourself rapid prototyping machine project is really cool. I think that after I build a small CNC router I might build one of these makerbots or convert my router to something similar.
Check out there site and store.
All the plans and drawings are open source. The prices on the motors, electronics, and material seem reasonable.
Let me know what you think.
Yet compared to these guys I am coolest guy in the world. I do have to hand it to them. Their open source do-it-yourself rapid prototyping machine project is really cool. I think that after I build a small CNC router I might build one of these makerbots or convert my router to something similar.
Check out there site and store.
All the plans and drawings are open source. The prices on the motors, electronics, and material seem reasonable.
Let me know what you think.
How to Increase Fuel Ecconmy by 1000% Only Changing Your Driving Habits
A while back I read an article on how a Ford Fusion Hybrid pedaled its way to 1,445 miles on a single tank. There is a lot people can do by simply changing the way they drive. I don't really know how to figure the exact savings or the reduction in environmental impact. However I can make up a figure that is surely to get some attention like.... 1000%! If I had to give a realistic estimate I would say that it is more like 1% or 2%. Those numbers might seem small but if every one did it...it adds up to a crap load of savings. There are other benefits to changing your driving habits. I took the list of suggestions from that article and noted the additional advantages to the fuel savings.
- Slowing down and maintaining even throttle pressure- You have to remember that the faster you go, the more air resistance there is and more energy is required to maintain that speed. Slower speeds would also mean safer driving and fewer fatalities on the road. At slower speed you have more time to react. Even throttle pressure would mean that the jerk that always speeds up just are you are about to pass would now be more concerned about saving gas with even throttle pressure than not pissing you off.
- Gradually accelerating and smoothly braking- Have you ever rode with a driver that slams on the accelerator and only lets off to slam down on the brake only for a moment then quick back on the gas? Not only is it annoying, it reaps havoc your neck and fuel consumption.
- Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles and anticipating traffic conditions- Just think how pleasant the roads would be if everyone did this one. Fewer wrecks and less middle finger usage. On the down side, it might be more difficult to read stupid vanity plates and lame bumper stickers.
- Coasting up to red lights and stop signs to avoid fuel waste and brake wear- Your brakes will last longer and so will your tires. People are in such a hurry these days they race to lights just to wait and then romp on the gas to beat the guy next to them off the line to cut in front. Driving would be a much more pleasant experience if we could all change the way we drive.
- Minimize use of heater and air conditioning to reduce the load on the engine- Ok this one kind of sucks. I don't know if I am willing to save a little gas for not sweating by butt off.
- Close windows at high speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag- Around town roll down the windows and turn off the AC and on the freeway roll 'em up and turn on the AC as needed.
- Applying the "Pulse and Glide" technique while maintaining the flow of traffic- Your "pulses" should be nice and smooth. Slowly on and slowly off, maintaining even throttle pressure.
- Minimize excessive engine workload by using the vehicle's kinetic forward motion to climb hills, and use downhill momentum to build speed- Using gravity to gain speed and forward motion to help you up hills you can save on gas.
- Avoiding bumps and potholes that can reduce momentum- This will also reduce wear on the suspension and your ear drums. The passengers will no long have anything to yell at you for.
How to Save Money, Save Lives and Save the Planet!
Thats right I have the answer to car safety, reduction in production cost, and better fuel economy. How is this possible you might ask. Well it is very simple.
Have you ever watched a NASCAR race and seen one of those guys hit the wall going 200 mph? How in the world did they survive that? Well they had on a helmet, neck brace, and a 5 point harness. They are safer than airbags and a shoulder strap seat belt. Then why don't they put 5 point seat belt in daily drivers? They weigh less (better fuel economy, cheaper to make, and are safer than airbags. My guess is that people would complain about it not being convenient. Some might say that they are less comfortable or restrictive. I am not a big fan of air bags. Really they are only for people that don't wear their seat belt. Just look at the damage these things can do.
I'm curious is there any one out there that would trade the convenience of airbag and crappy shoulder strap for a 5 point racing seat belt.
Have you ever watched a NASCAR race and seen one of those guys hit the wall going 200 mph? How in the world did they survive that? Well they had on a helmet, neck brace, and a 5 point harness. They are safer than airbags and a shoulder strap seat belt. Then why don't they put 5 point seat belt in daily drivers? They weigh less (better fuel economy, cheaper to make, and are safer than airbags. My guess is that people would complain about it not being convenient. Some might say that they are less comfortable or restrictive. I am not a big fan of air bags. Really they are only for people that don't wear their seat belt. Just look at the damage these things can do.
I'm curious is there any one out there that would trade the convenience of airbag and crappy shoulder strap for a 5 point racing seat belt.
Amazing Save by a Motocycle Racer
I don't ever watch racing much. I watch even less motorcycle racing. You can imagine the kinds of crashes these guys have when they lose control of their bikes. I have seen several videos of these guys eat it hard, but I think that this is the first video clip I have come across where they lose control and fully recover. Amazing!
Project Natal: Microsoft Comes Out with a New "Controllerless" Gaming System
This "Project Natal" thingy looks way cooler than the Nintendo Wii. There is no chance of Wii remote flying though your $1500 TV. Well I guess there is always the possibility of someone getting way into the game and taking that flat panel out with their bare hands. Also there is no getting away with playing tennis sitting on the couch just flicking your wrist. You actually have to get up and move. It has a little camera that's watching you and a mic that is listening to every word you say so you can't cheat. It might just be that the government is buying stock in Microsoft to watch us, or maybe Microsoft is going to be the new government. If they are that might not be such a back thing.
From what I understand this Project Natal gaming system is not on track to come out this year, but hopefully it will be reaching a store near you soon. I would have thought that they would try to do a product launch sometime around Christmas this year if they are announcing it now for hype, but your guess is as good as mine. I wonder how much this gaming system/extension for the xbox 360 will cost. I say "extension" because it almost looks like its an addition of some sort to the xbox 360, but I really don't know. If that is the case then it might make it a bit more affordable. Any who, check out these video clips and let me know what you think or if any of you guys know any more about it.
Project Natal Video Clips
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